Improvement in game apparatus



Game us.

. P ented April 8.1879.

AW EV x, v A

' antar- UNITED STATES PATENT Gr mes.

EGBERT MAOY, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN GAME APPARATUS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 214,048, dated April 8, 1879 application file-d August 8, 1878.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, Ec nnnrr MACY, of the city of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Game, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to furnish a neat and interesting toy game for social entertainment.

The invention consists in the combination I of triangular blocks and a central symbol of a star, provided at their edges with notation marks or numbers to form polygonal figures of the said blocks around the central star by matching together the edges of the triangular blocks and those of the central star having equal notations, and similarly intermatching the triangular blocks; and in the combination of a six-pointed central symbol of a star havin g notation-marks at the sides of its angles and a series of similarly-marked equilateral triangular blocks constructed to form a regular hexagon in the angle between each two adjacent points of the center star by matching together the edges of the equilateral triangles and those of the central star having equal notations, and similarly intermatching the triangular blocks, as will be hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a plan view of my improved game, with all the triangles matched in position, forming polygons around the central symbol of a star. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the same, showing the commencement of the matching, with the triangular block bearing the highest triple notation. Fig. 3 is a detail view of two of the matching-blocks. Fig. 4 is a table of combinations of numbers, according to which the notations are marked upon the triangular blocks.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

Ais the central symbol of a star, around which the'triangular blocks are matched to form polygons, and is preferably a thin block of wood with six points, as shown in Fig. 1. At the edges of the central star, or at the sides forming its angles a, are dots or other marks of notation Z), in numbers of one to six successively, according to the number ofpoinis of the star.

In the drawings, the same notation is marked on both sides of each point of the star A.

B are thin blocks of wood in the shape of equilateral triangles, thirty-six in number, so that a regular hexagon may be formed in each angle a of the star A, by matching together six of the blocksB, as shownin Fig. 1. By drawing the lines 0 from the center of each triangle B to its three corners the said center lines will form the figure or symbol of a star on each hexagon when all the' blocks are matched as in Fig. 1, thus forming a group of six stars around the central star, in the manner of the seven stars of the firmament, from which similarity I have given to this game the name Pleiades.

The thirtysix combinations of numbers shown in Fig. 4: are indicated by correspondin g numbers of dots d on thesides of triangles Bone combination for each triangle. Triangles having notations of intermatchable combinations, such as 1 l 2 to 2 2 1, are called a pair. Fig. 3 shows such a pair, the combinations being 4 4 3 to 3 3 4.

In playing the game of Pleiades the blocks 13 are shuffled, face down, and divided between the players, or each player draws a certain number, as maybe agreed upon. Thehold-- er of the treble six leads by matching one of its edges against one of the edges of the starpoint, marked 6, as shown in Fig. 2. The next player must fill the remainder of the angle a by matching both the edge of the star and of the leading piece. This is done by either of the blocks having the combination 1 l 6 or 6 6 1, as shown in Fig. 2, leaving to the next player the choice of matching either No. l or No. 6, and so on until the completion of the hexagon, when the person playing the last piece is entitled to count one point in the game, which is usually six points.

In all cases when not prevented by a blockade, each polygon commenced must be completed before another is started. When a player is unable to match, his turn passes to the next, and so on until all refuse and the game is blocked. In this case, or in the case that one of the players disposes of all. his

matching-blocks before the game is blocked, the holder of none or the fewest pieces captures those of his opponents, six pieces being equal to one point in the game, and one piece equal to one-sixth of one point.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and.desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The combination of triangular block-s B with a block, A, in the form of a star, the same being provided at their edges with notation marks or numbers to form polygonal figures of the said blocks around the central block A, substantially as described and shown.

2. The combination of the six-pointed central star block A, having notation-marks b at the sides of its angles, and the series of similarly-marked equilateral triangular blocks B, constructed to form a regular hexagon in the angle a between each two adjacent points of the central star block A, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

EGBERT MACY.

Witnesses:

E. S. BENNETT, W. S. HAVILAJND. 

